


face to face

by SerpentineJ



Category: DAYS (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, ballroom dance au!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-03
Updated: 2017-12-03
Packaged: 2019-02-09 22:14:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12897945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SerpentineJ/pseuds/SerpentineJ
Summary: "Kiichi!" He roars. "You bastard, you can't stop inconveniencing people-"The Ooshiba siblings are in the middle of a routine. Kimishita sees Kiichi stretch his long limbs impossibly far, sees Mikoto execute a gorgeously smooth twist of her hips- this is why they're seeded for the Mikasa Cup, he knows, but he forces himself past the instant, instinctive appreciation for good dance that overtakes him whenever he sees the Ooshiba siblings, and instead focuses on the anger.Yes. The anger. That's always a safe bet.days ballroom dance au.





	face to face

**Author's Note:**

> NOTE: it's been a while! I love bey, and tbh tatara reminds me a bit of tsukushi in the classic shonen protag way.... tatara and chinatsu's relationship reminds me a bit of shibakimi, actually, with the constant bickering thing~~
> 
> also.... latin dancers ooshiba and indou... tall men are in high demand in the ballroom dance circuit bc apparently "ideal height" by industry standards for a couple is for the man to be 4 inches taller than the woman, so girls 5'8'' and above have to wait around for a 6ft guy... I really like waltz dancers mizuki, kimi, and tsukushi, though im mad i can't get super deep into the worldbuilding bc theres not enough fem chars to pair up even a few of the boys. Fuck

"One, two, three." Clap, clap, clap. "One, two, three."

"Tsukushi! Back straight! You expect me to dance with a shrinking leader?!"

Kimishita's eye twitches.

"One, two, three."

Clap.

Clap.

Clap.

"One, two-"

"Enough!" Kimishita shouts suddenly, dropping his partner's hand, whirling round on where Coach Nakazawa is halfheartedly clapping along to the beat of the simple three-four time waltz. Somehow, even after three months of dance training, Tsukamoto Tsukushi still bumbles over his feet, slacks in his hold, and loses the tempo. "Isn't there somewhere else you can practice?!"

Beside him, his partner- Watanabe, a straight-laced girl with short brown hair and dark eyes that glint behind the carefully-shined glasses perched on her nose- lays a hand on his elbow.

"Kimishita," she says, warningly. He nearly shakes her off.

"You know there's nowhere else." Nakazawa grumbles from his spot on a high stool next to the shelf with the stereo on it. "The Ooshiba siblings rescheduled their practice time."

"That guy." Kimishita mutters. "He makes everything so- difficult-"

Tsukamoto speaks up, looking remorseful.

"K-Kimishita-senpai!" He says earnestly. "If we're disturbing you, we can move!"

His partner, Ubukata- they're an unusual couple, because Ubukata stands a little above Tsukamoto, and has the distinctive look and temperament of a girl who's been leading another girl for most of her dancing life- smacks him over the head.

"We can't move, idiot!" She says. "Where would we go? There's only two practice rooms in this studio."

Kimishita grits his teeth.

"I'm gonna go give that bastard a piece of my mind," he growls, throws off Watanabe's arm to storm out the door.

Watanabe sighs.

"That guy... he's so hot-headed, even though he claims to be a rational person," she says, resigned. She pushes her glasses further up her nose and turns to the Coach. "Nakazawa-sensei, can I give these two some pointers while we wait for Kimishita-kun to come back?"

~~~~~~

Kimishita scowls his way down the short hallway and into the next practice room. Even through the padding on the walls, he can hear lively latin music blaring from the speakers, irresponsibly loud.

Of course. Kimishita refrains from hitting something.

Instead, he pushes the door open.

"Kiichi!" He roars. "You bastard, you can't stop inconveniencing people-"

The Ooshiba siblings are in the middle of a routine. Kimishita sees Kiichi stretch his long limbs impossibly far, sees Mikoto execute a gorgeously smooth twist of her hips- this is why they're seeded for the Mikasa Cup, he knows, but he forces himself past the instant, instinctive appreciation for good dance that overtakes him whenever he sees the Ooshiba siblings, and instead focuses on the anger. 

Yes. The anger. That's always a safe bet.

They seem to reach the end of their routine, because the two of them strike a stunning pose before Kiichi lets out a loud, whiny groan, audible even above the loud music.

"Mikoto," he moans, "this routine is so boring! Can't we add some more choreo? Make me look cooler?"

"Shut up, Kiichi," Mikoto says, ever the voice of reason, panting from exertion. Both their faces are read and sweat is dripping from their brows. Kimishita pointedly does not look at the curve of Kiichi's biceps, exposed by his loose-fitting tank-top. 

She turns to the door.

"Kimishita-kun?" She sounds surprised. "Sorry, were we too loud?"

Ah. Yes. There's a reason he's here. Kimishita steels himself.

"Your brother, being inconsiderate, as always," he growls, turning to Kiichi. "Because of your rescheduling, Watanabe and I have to share a practice room with that bumbling idiot, Tsukamoto!"

Kiichi rolls his eyes. He wipes at the sweat with a towel. Kimishita ensures his glare is fixed firmly on his face.

"It's not my problem," he sneers, seeming half a second from sticking his tongue out like some kind of immature toddler. "Not my fault you're such a perfectionist you can't practice with another pair so much as in the same room."

Kimishita grits his teeth. He's ten seconds away from decking Ooshiba. This is a familiar feeling. He and Kiichi have been in the same dance academy since junior high, after all.

It doesn't mean he likes him any more than the first time they had met, when Ooshiba's driver had almost run him over in front of the studio. Kimishita feels his nails dig into his palm.

~~~~~~

Kiichi is waiting for him outside the studio.

Kimishita is usually the last one to leave- Watanabe gets tired after normal practice, because she has a normal amount of stamina but not the beastly amount that Kimishita has developed after years and years of harsh, punishing cardio training- so he's surprised to see the glow of a mobile phone on the sidewalk in the setting sunlight.

Well, Kiichi isn't exactly waiting. He's poking at his phone irritably, looking disgustingly handsome for someone who had, an hour earlier, been sweating his guts out on a polished wood studio floor. A red scarf is wrapped tastefully around his neck, protecting him from the autumn chill- most definitely Mikoto's doing. He glances up when he hears the bell above the studio door jingle.

"Took you long enough," he snarks, and Kimishita makes to walk away. "Hey, hey, hey!"

Kimishita looks back. Kiichi's put his phone in his pocket, and shoved his hand in afterwards.

"Mikoto said I should apologize for making you give up your practice room," he mutters, frowning. Kimishita turns back to face him and crosses his arms.

"And?" He says. "Is this an apology?"

Kiichi rolls his eyes. Kimishita turns to leave again.

"Hey, hey!" Kiichi says, exasperated. "Jeez, I was getting to it, okay?"

Kimishita glares.

"Get to it," he says expectantly.

A muscle in Kiichi's jaw jumps.

He pulls out his wallet.

"I-" He starts, but Kimishita's actually offended now- does Kiichi think he can buy forgiveness? Sure, this isn't that big a slight, in the grand scheme of things, but it's the principle of the thing that matters... right?

"Save it!" Kimishita barks. "I don't want your money-"

Kiichi turns red. He almost folds his wallet in his hand, he's gripping it so hard.

"I was gonna say, I'll buy you dinner!" He shouts. "To apologize! At the diner you like, with the ice cream! Idiot!"

Kimishita stiffens.

"The American place?" He mutters. "How did you now about that?"

Kiichi flushes scarlet. He scratches the back of his neck.

"Watanabe told me." He says under his breath. "Not that I was asking, or anything."

Kimishita purses his lips. He folds his arms across his chest.

"Look, if you don't want to-" Kiichi begins, thoroughly embarrassed.

"Fine," Kimishita interrupts. He points a finger at Kiichi's face. "But you're buying ice cream, too. If you complain, I'm not accepting your apology."

"Deal," Kiichi says instantly.

He rolls his eyes.

"You drive a hard bargain," he mutters, pulling out his wallet to check how much money he has on him- apparently deeming it satisfactory, he turns abruptly and walks down the sidewalk.

Kimishita stares after him.

"Are you coming or not?" Kiichi calls over his shoulder.

"The restaurant is that way." Kimishita points in the opposite direction. Kiichi freezes.

"I knew that," he says, spinning around with all the grace of a nationally acclaimed dancer and striding back towards Kimishita.

Kimishita rolls his eyes, this time.

"Sure you did." He huffs. "Dumbass."

Their bickering en route to the diner, though, is markedly less antagonistic.

**Author's Note:**

> NOTE: watanabe himeko is my self insert love interest. i have a crush on her  
> [tumblr](http://kimishitaatsushi.tumblr.com)  
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/serpentinej)  
> [writing twitter](https://twitter.com/jjigens)


End file.
